The world today is completely different than the one most of us grew up in. Anyone who caught up in the hype around Back to The Future’s 30th anniversary in 2015 got a great reminder of what things were like 30 years ago. Our behavior has shifted over the last three decades due in part to the rise of technology.

The rise of computers, the internet, and mobile devices has had an effect on how we interact as we’ve gained widespread access to information. Our new access made it easier to communicate and gain information, therefore changing our behavior. Gone were the days of the Industrial Age where advertisers simply needed to run TV commercials to sell millions of products and in came the Information Age.

Today we have smartphones, social media, apps, and 4G connections. As technology has advanced further the access, behavior, and expectations of the consumer have grown. We can have whatever we want, whenever we want it, wherever we are. It’s instant gratification or bust. Enter the Age of the Customer.

So how do we compete for time and attention as we try to do business in these times? As digital marketing experts we design our strategy, content, and promotion with an understanding of what we're up against. We must structure our assets to interrupt, engage, and cause prospects to slow down just long enough to see the value in our proposition. I believe this can be accomplished by applying this approach over eight fundamental steps of digital strategy.

Eight Steps to Managing the Chaos

1. Develop the strategy & foundation

2. Create a fantastic website that converts

3. Optimize everything for search engines

4. Publish helpful content that educates

5. Promote your content through social media

6. Understand & serve your ideal client's buying cycle

7. Answer questions before they ask them

8. Measure everything, revise, and repeat

Focus your efforts around a complete and successful campaign and you’ll drive results. If you’d like to expand your knowledge of any of the elements discussed I invite you to download our expanded detail on each of the eight steps in the eBook below or stay tuned for future articles that break down each element in more detail.

Eric founded Revenue River in 2009 and has driven it into one of the most successful digital marketing agencies in the country. He wears many hats at Revenue River, while running the company is his job, he’s happy to be on the ground floor in the marketing and sales departments whenever the opportunity arises. On the rare occasions that Eric isn’t working, he’s somewhere in the high country stalking game or with his wife and two kids cheering on the Seahawks.